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ALPHA SQUADRON

Membership: Anole (Victor Borkowski), Indra (Paras Gavaskar), Kidogo (Lazaro Kotikash), Loa (Alani Ryan), Rubbermaid (Andrea Margulies), Network (Sarah Vale)

Purpose: X-Men training squad

Aliases: None

Affiliations: Karma (advisor, Xi'an Coy Manh), Northstar (advisor, Jean-Paul Beaubier)
X-Men training squads (Corsairs, Excelsiors, Exemplars, Hellions, New Mutants, Paragons), X-Men (Cyclops/Scott Summers, Emma Frost)

Enemies: The Hand, Hydra, Purifiers, William Stryker

Base of Operations: Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Westchester County, New York

First Appearance: (Mentioned) New X-Men II#4 (Ocotber, 2004); (fully seen) New X-Men II#13 (July, 2005)

 

History:

(New X-Men II#4 - BTS) - While at Xavier's, Anole, Indra, Kidogo, Loa, Rubbermaid and Network were selected to join one of the special training squads mentored by various members of the X-Men. They were placed on Alpha Squadron, led by Northstar.

(New X-Men II#4 - BTS) - Alpha Squadron participated in their first field day assignment against the Institute's other squads: the New Mutants, Hellions, Corsairs, Excelsiors and the Exemplars.

Alpha Squadron in mourning

(New X-Men II#13) - Several Alpha Squadronners were present when Wolverine (mind controlled by the Hand at the time) crashed one of the Blackbirds on the Xavier Institute's front lawn. Even though the X-Men and Avengers tried to deal with him, the feral Wolverine eventually managed to kill the squad's leader, Northstar. The following morning, all students were informed of the tragic news by headmasters Cyclops and Emma Frost. A little while later, Alpha Squadron was taken on by Xi'an Coy Manh (Karma) who introduced herself as the group's new advisor. Karma hoped to do her best to run the squad like Jean-Paul did, but Anole, feeling a personal connection to his former mentor stormed out. Karma followed Anole and the two had a conversation where Anole explained Northstar was the one teacher who understood him (they were both homosexual), Karma promised he could confide in her as well. Sometime later, before Northstar's funeral, the Alpha Squadronners were allowed to view their mentor's memorial statue before its official unveiling, which they also attended.

(New X-Men II#14) - Alpha Squadron joined the Paragons squad for a joint training session with Karma. Both groups squabbled over the fact that the Paragons had lost during field day and that their mentor Rahne Sinclair (Wolfsbane) had disappeared after getting caught having an affair with a student. Later, most students presumably attended the school dance.

(New X-Men Yearbook Special#1) - Alpha Squadron posed for a group photo for the Xavier yearbook. In the yearbook, each individual member's likes and dislikes were also mentioned.

(House of M I#8 - BTS) - When millions of mutants lost their powers when a reality altering spell cast by the Scarlet Witch reduced the number of gene active mutants to a mere 300 worldwide, three of the Alpha Squadron members also lost their powers.

(New X-Men II#20) - The morning after M-Day hysteria broke out amongst the student body as most students had woken up powerless, Indra and Anole were amongst those who had kept their mutant powers (Loa wasn't seen).

Before the Battle Royale

(New X-Men II#23) - Two weeks after the global depowering that had become known as M-Day all student training squads disbanded since only twenty-five X-Students had retained their powers. Xavier Institute headmaster Emma Frost pitted all remaining students against each other in a battle royale to choose a team who would go on to train as New X-Men. Anole, Indra and Loa prepared themselves for the battle royal as Loa warned Anole she would crumble his tongue if he were to touch her with it. During the battle Indra was defeated by Dust, Loa was shoved out of the way by Hellion and Anole battled Match. After the battle was finished seven students were chosen to train as X-Men, none of the former Alpha Squadronners were chosen. Not much later, Xavier Institute headmasters Cyclops and Emma Frost decided all depowered students should return home for their own safety. Before boarding the bus Alpha Squadronners Rubbermaid and Network said their goodbyes and boarded the bus. A first busload of students had already left when a second, carrying another 42 former mutant teens, was blown up. The attack was carried out by the Purifiers who were acting on the orders from their leader Reverend William Stryker.

Comments: Created by Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir (writers), Michael Ryan (pencils), Rick Ketcham (inks).

This profile is focussed on the Alpha Squadron as a group, their individual members made other appearances which you can read about in their individual profiles.

The Alpha Squadron was named after Northstar's former team Alpha Flight.

Several training squads (New Mutants, Hellions, Corsairs, Paragons, Exemplars), participated in another field day in New X-Men II#10, Alpha Squadron, however, wasn't mentioned.

After the disbanding of Alpha Squadron, Rubbermaid and Network died in the bombing of a bus by the Purifiers, it's not been revealed what happened to Kidogo, who could have been on board of the first bus and still be alive.

Profile by MarvellousLuke

CLARIFICATIONS:
Alpha Squadron should not be confused with

  • Alpha Flight, Canadian superhero team @ X-Men#120
  • Alpha Prime, Savage Land team @ Alpha Flight Annual I#2
  • or any other "Alpha" teams


  • images: (without ads)
    New X-Men Yearbook Special#1, p23, pan1 (main image)
    New X-Men II#13, p8, pan2 (in mourning)
    New X-Men II#23, p9, pan3 (before the battle royale)


    Appearances:
    New X-Men II#4 (Ocotber, 2004) - Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir (writers), Staz Johnson (pencils), Scott Koblish (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
    New X-Men II#13 (July, 2005) - Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir (writers), Michael Ryan (pencils), Rick Ketcham (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
    New X-Men II#14 (July, 2005) - Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir (writers), Paco Medina (pencils), Juan Vlasco (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
    New X-Men II#15 (August, 2005) - Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir (writers), Paco Medina (pencils), Juan Vlasco (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
    New X-Men Yearbook Special (December, 2005) - Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir (writers), Georges Jeanty (pencils), Don Hillsman (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
    New X-Men II#20 (January, 2006) - Craig Kyle, Chris Yost (writers), Mark Brooks (pencils), Jaime Mendoza (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
    New X-Men II#23 (April, 2006) - Craig Kyle, Chris Yost (writers), Mark Brooks, Paul Pelletier (pencillers), Jaime Mendoza (inks), Mike Marts (editor)


    First Posted: 07/26/2015
    Last Updated: 07/18/2015

    Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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